Pipe-joint and filler therefor.



Patented Mar. 12. 1918.

ATTOIIQN EY J. R. McWANE. PIPE JOINT AND FILLER THEREFOR.

Y APPLICATION FILED APR- 2| I917- JAMES B. MOWAINE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

urn-JOINT AND FILLER THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters iatent. I Patented Mar, 12, 1918,

Application filed April12,1917. Serial in). 161,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. MCWANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Joint and Filler Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to pipe joints and fillers therefor, and its object is to provide a pipe joint siructure for bell and s i ot i es, especial y cast iron pipes, poss s ing a desirable degree of flexibility and permitting the production of a tight olnt with a minimum amount of lead and labor, and without wastage.

The pipe joint is of the same general.

character as that shown and describedin my application No. 144,7 68, for pipe jolnt and filler therefor, filed January 26, 1917, but differs therefrom in some respects.

The invention comprises a joint for bell and spigot cast iron pipe in which juteor other similar packing material is replaced by wood in the form of wooden hoops, and there is also provided a preformed filler of metal, such as iron, or of wood, with preformed lead strips, all of which are introduced into the bell of the pipe after the spigot end of the next pipe in order 1s located therein. The wooden strips subst1- tuted for jute provide a cheap and solid backing anvil against which the lead strlps ma be readily calked to produce a fluid tig 1; joint, which, however, has a degree of flexibility found to be necessary for the successful use of cast iron pipe, and particularly present in hell and I spigot. pipe joints. 7 V

The ordinary bell and spigot oints are made with a preliminary packing of jute and the bell aboutth'eintroduced spigot 1s filled with lead poured thereinto in a molten state, and which may be afterward calked up tight. Such pipe jointsare wasteful of lead and unnecessarily time consuming 1n their preparation, since the lead must be melted at the trench and'poured into the joint, the melted lead frequently splllmg,

while there are oxidization and other losses.

Furthermore, the perfection of the joint is by no means certain. V

The joint described in the aforesaid application overcomes the objections found in the ordinary bell and spigot joint, but is susceptible of improvement both in labor in the formation of the joint and. in the preliminary cost of material.

It has been found that the jute previously used may be advantageously replaced by wooden'hoops similar to barrel hoops, and

made of proper size, such hoopsproviding' a solid backing against which the final lead filling rings may be calked to better advantage than against jute, since the lat-' ter has a more or less cushioning effect interfering with the rapidity of calking.

Vith such wooden rings there is provided a lead-carrying series of wedge blocks usually of iron, but which may be of wood, so that the lead when finally calked into place'is' forced into intimate contact with the metal surfaces of both the bell and spigot parts.

of the pipe, and a fluid tight joint is thereby produced. Still there exists a degree of general flexibility in the joint which provides for slight bendings of the line of pipe at the joints without establishing such strains as would tendto fracture the more or less brittle cast iron pipe. 4

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection w1th the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, with the I further understand ing that while the drawings'show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long a such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings 2- Figure 1 is a substantially diametric sec tion of a bell and spigot pipe'joint embodying the invention. j

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a combined wedge block structure and lead ring anchored therein. v

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the vwooden filler rings. 7

Referring to the drawings there is, shown a bell end 1 and a spigot end 2 of the matching ends of two sections of bell and spigot cast iron pipe of standard construction. The inner wall of the spigot end 1" isprovided with the usual lead-receiving groove 3, and the spigot end terminates in an outstanding by means of a suitable tool.

There are provided wooden hoops 5 and 6 of which the hoop 5 is shown separately in Fig. 3. These hoops may be madeof the same material as wooden barrel. hoops, and are discontinuous circumferentially, so that they may be opened and applied about the spigot end 2 of the corresponding pipe, the elasticity of the 7 wood permitting such spreading open of the hoop. This produces adjacent ends 7 where the hoop is discontinuous .circumferentially, and the hoop may be of such length that the ends] are nearly or quite in abutment. when the hoop is n place. in the bell end 1 about the sp1got end 2. n l v The hoop 5 may be of such thickness as .to about fillthe space between the inner wall of the bell 1 and the outer wall of the spigot 2,. and tapers so as to provide for the flange f There is also provided a series of wedge blocks .8. joined together at their thin ends by a longitudinal web 9 and having their thick ends of doVe-tailform, a shownat 11o at which part of the series there is anchored a lead strip 11, all as disclosed in the aforesaid application. The series of wedge blocks, however, differs from the aforesaid application in that theweb 9 is provided with alongitudinal head 12 at the edge re mote from the lead strip 11. This bead 12 cause the wedge blocks'to assume a conical position with the base of the cone toward thernouth of; the bell 1 when the parts are forced into place thus oausing the lead strip 11 to seat in the groove 3.; o I

, lVhen the joint. is assembled and after the spigot 2, .has been introduced into the bell l the wooden hoop or ring 5 is, forced tightly into the-baSic end of the bell 1 and against thesoigot 2, with its flange a. l Then the seriesof wedge blocks. 8 is introduced into .thebell 1 and spread intocontact with the inner wall thereof so that the lead strip 11, seats in the grooveB. This may hedone Then the Wooden ring or hoop 6, which may be ,quite similar to the ring or hoop 5, is introduced into the bell between the wedge blocks 8 and the outer wall of the spigot 2. By make ing the parts of'proper size the ring 6 may be caused to wedge tightly into place, forcing the wedge blocks firmly into engagement with the inner wall of the bell 1. Now, lead, represented at 11 is forced into the mouth of the bell so as to engagethe outer edge of the ring orhoop 6, and is tightly calkedinto the bellforcing the wooden rings and wedge blocks firmly into position and sealing the mouth of the bell. p l I In accordance-withthe procedure defined in the aforesaid application a number of lead rings may be introduced into. the bell and compacted by calking tools to form the mass 11 and the calking may be suflicient toproduce a substantial union between the mass 11 of lead and theistrip 11, since lead is sufiiciently ductile to admit of cohesion between contacting surfaces. Such calking is found to be efficient in the production of a liquid tight joint resistant to the passage of liquids from the interior to the exterior of the pipe. Such joints may even be made an or gas tight,

The advantage of the wooden rings beside their capability ofacting asfillers, and thus saving. lead, i that they form practically inelastic backing or anvil device's against which the lead may be, quickly and firmly calkech Inthis' respect the wooden rin'g'sf are superior to jute, which has heretofore been almost universally employed in bell and spigot cast iron pipe joints. The jute as used in the joint describedinthe ELIFOTQ": said application is more or less yielding or of cushionnature, and henceinterferes to some degree with the calking of the lead, making itcorrespondingly difiicult to produce a thoroughly tight joint. The wooden rings overcome this difficulty, although, of course theyniay. not lessen the amount of lead employedover the joint of the afore said.atSplication' v ,Whlle 1t 1s advantageous for some purposes to us metal. wedge. blocksf8,.it,is

quite possible to replacethese wedge blocks with a similar structure' made of wood, so

that the wedge strplcture may be either of m ta uch a 'bl eel, 61 f W9 9 W ea made otiwojod, t e beam: r 1.2 may be vretained so thatthelwedges will conform tothe groove 3 as befbre. The lead strip 12 niay be fast to theweclgeloldcks wheii they. 1s of 'wooch as well aswhen they are of lnetal,v In either e vent tlie calking of the lead is accomplished in the same manner.

he j n l btibei pr v d n a pin.- rality ofmoreor less. elastic" structures, such asthe wooden hoops, not only proyide s: a ery cheap. filling to I r p1ace a,.1arge proportion oflead as-ordinarily used, bu h p rmits the requisite flexibility of the joint as a Whole. 7

The woodeh rings. have another material advantage over ute ln that they are more easily and quickly ppli h for :tl e r in the bell, said wooden means constituting an effectively solid anvil against which the lead may be calked. I

2. A bell and spigot pipe joint provided with a plurality of wooden rings or hoops therein abutting lengthwise of the joint, and lead sealing means, between the rings and the mouth of the bell, the rings or hoops constituting an effectively solid anvil means against which the lead may be calked. 3. A bell and spigot pipe joint having wooden filling means within the bell extending from the basic end thereof toward the mouth of the bell, and lead sealing means between the wooden filling means and the mouth of the bell and in intimate con tact with the inner wall of the bell and the outer wall of the spigot member of the joint, the wooden filling means constituting an effectively solid anvil against which the lead may be calked.

4. A bell and spigot ipe joint having a wooden ring within the bell at the basic end thereof, another wooden ring and wedge Copies of; this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the blocks engaging the first-named ring, and

lead sealing means between the second -wooden ring and wedge blocks and the mouth of the bell. I

5. A bell and spigot pipe joint having a wooden hoop or ring seated in the basic end i of the bell between the latter and thespigot member of the joint, a series of wedge blocks pipe joint, and lead sealing means at the' month end of the bell compacted against the wedge blocks and the second-named wooden ring or hoop. r

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed'my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.-

JAMES R. MQWANE.

"Commissioner of Iatente,

Washington, D. 0. 

